Steel felly and rim construction



May 6, 1930. A. s. VAN HALTEREN 1,757,275

STEEL FELLQIv AND RIM CONSTRUCTIOI.

Filed March 12, 1928 Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATES( PATENT OFFICE'ANDREW S, VAN HALTEREN, F EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO MGIEORWHEEL CORPORATW, 0F LANSING, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN ASTEELFELLY AND RIM CONSTRUCTION Application led March 12, 1928. i Serial No.260,824.

My invention relates to the construction and assembly of a metal fellyabout a spoke spider within a tire-carrying rim.

It is common practice to connect the Wood spokes of a wheel spider by ametal felly of radially open channel formation, the channei receivingthe spoke tenons in spaced aperturefsand supporting the rim upon one orboth of the two legs of the channel and being secured thereto at one orboth lines of contact.

It is difficult in manufacture to secure an exact fit of the two channellegs within the .rim to provide an equal bearing of the rim on both. Dueto small variations in inner rim diameterand in outer diameter of thetwo felly legs, it is practically impossible to be assured of a pressfit between both sides of the felly and the two sides of the rim.

To obviate this difficulty, I form one leg of the felly channel of lessradial height than the other and preferably incline the edge of the sameto correspond to the lower rear face of the gutter portion of the Q. D.(quick de..

t'achable) Tim- The other leg of the fellyi/l of an outer diametercorresponding snugly to the inner diameter of the rim base to secure apress fit, and its edge is preferably flanged over to give an extendedbearing against the inner face of the rim base whereby to afford an areafor welding, riveting or otherwise securing to. the rim against lateraldisplacement. The legs of the felly are spaced apart a suiicientdistance so that they can be deformed slightly to'place the front legunder llateral stress against the gutter portion of the rim when thefelly isassembled with the rim. By this construction it is onlynecessary to size the rear le of the felly accurately,

the-fit of the front lobeg within and against the gutter at the frontedge of the rim being assured by. forcing the rim and felly laterallyinto pressure contact with sufficient force to slightly deform the legsof the felly and 5 maintaining the front leg, under stress bypermanently attaching the rim and rear leg as by riveting or welding.The front leg being thus maintained under lateral pressure against thegutter of the rim, due to the elas= ticity of the metal in the felly, asnug fit is secured, thereby eliminating relative movenient between thefront leg and the rim which would otherwise result in noise and squeaks.

In order that the invention may be'more readily understood from thefollowing description. a preferred and modified embodiments of' trieinvention are set forth by way of illustratiorV 1 1 he accompanyingdrawing; it being und ood 'ihat other modifications are contcnny-.afedas within the scope of the mechanic following upon a disclosure of theinvention herein. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a wood spoke wheel embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a radial section of a wheel corresponding to the line 2-2 ofFig. 1;

F ig. 3 is a similar view taken on a line corresponding to line 3 3 ofthe drawing and illustrating a modified Connection between the rear legof the felly and the rim; 1

Fig. 4 is a detail of the felly and rim assembly illustrating upon a.larger scale one form of bearing connection between the front leg ofthe felly and the rim; and

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 illustrating a modified bearingconnection between the front felly leg and the gutter.

Referring to the drawings, the spokes 11 having tenons 11a are securedin assembled spider relation at the hub portion by the plates l2 and 12aand the ferrule rivets 13.

The rim here illustrated is of the well known Q. D. type and comprisesthe rim base 14, the tire-retaining flange 15 and the front gutter orrib 16 for receiving the usual split ring, not shown.

The metal felly,of outwardly open channel formation, comprises a dropbase 17, apertured to receive the spoke tenons, a rear leg 18 iangedover at 19 and a front leg 20 of less radial height than the rear leg 18and provided with an inclined face to fit the rear face Aof the gutter16, either by bevelingas indicated at l21 in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, orinwardly turned as indicated at 22 in Fig. 5. The valve'fstem o eningisindicated at 17a.

The-I assembly of the felly with the spider is accomplished by seatingthe spoke tenons llain the a ertures provided in the felly and clampingt e inner ends ofthe spokes 1n the hub zone between plates 12 and .12 inthe usual manner. The assembly of the rim with the wheel spider andencompassing felly is attained by forcing the rim laterally towards therear upon the felly or the felly laterally towards the front Within therim. In practice it is found desirable to apply sufficient pressure tothe elly to spring the ends of the legs 18 and 20` towards each otherapproximately one-sixteenth bien inch and fasten the flange 19 to therim `llvhiie the felly is under pressure, thus utilizingthe elasticityof the metal in the elly to maintain the leg 20 in pressure Contact-with the inclined rear face ofv the gutter 15E.' The flange 19 of therear leg 18 is securedv to the rim b spot or line welding as indicatedat 23 in ig. 2, or by indenting into'interlocked relation as indicatedat 24 in F ig. 3, or by riveting as indicated at 25 in Figs. 4 and 5,either method of attachment providing a metal interlock of the fellyand' rim.

It is obvious that any inwardly extending flange or rib carried by therim in frontof its median line may be utilized as the equivavlent of thegutter 16 to provide an incline bearing for the front felly leg.

It will thus be understood that I have devised a felly construction andrim assembly wherein accuracy ofmanufacture as to the radial dimensionsof the front edges`of the elly and rim is rendered of no consequenceinasmuch as an exact fit is 'atta-ined due to the legs of the fellybeingslightly deformed so that the elasticity lofthemetal,forces thefront leg against theinclined rear face of the ,gutter or :equivalentflange or rib. The requirement for manufacturing accuracy of dimensionsapplies only to the rear leg of the felly in relation to the rimdiameter at the rear,-any slight inaccuracies at this point beingcompensated by the permanent `attach ment e'ected by the welding of'Fig. 2, the indenting of Fig. 3 and the riveting of Figs. 4 and 5,whereby any lateral shifting of the front leg of the felly out ofpressure contact with the gutter 16 1s precluded.' The Astepy ofmanufacture and of assembly are greatl; simplified and cheapened by thisconstruction. j

I claim: f l

1. In a wheel assembly, a spoke spider, an

outwardly opening channel .elly member encompa-ssing the spider andaccommodating the spoke tenons within apertures of its base,

'Ia tire-carrying rim havingalo'ng its front -vedge an inwardlyextending rib, the rear leg of the felly adaptedv to 'lit closely withinthe.'

rim and the liront leg bearing against and'in stressed relationship withthe rib, the rear` leg o f the felly being permanently' secured to therlm.

wardly opening channe .felly member encompassing the xspider, altire-carrying rim 2. In a wheel assembly, a spider, an outhaving alongits front edge an inwardly extending rib, the rear leg of the ellyadapted to fit closely within the rim and the front leg bearinglaterally against and in pressure contact with the rib, the rear leg ofthe felly being permanently secured to the rim.

3. In a wheel assembly, a wheel body, an. outwardly opening channelfelly member eni compassing and secured to the wheel body, atire-carrying rim having along its front edge an inwardly extend'ingrib,the rear leg'of the felly adapted to lit closely withinjhe rim and thefront leg bearing againstvand in stressed relationship with the rib, therear leg ofthe elly being permanently secured to the rim.

4. In a Wheel assembly, Aa metallic felly, and a rim having an inwardlyextending rib with an inclined face, the felly comprising a channelmember having one leg permanently secured to the rim base and the otherleg arrangedl to bear against the inclined face of the rib and instressed relation thereto.

5. vIn a wheel'assembly, a-wheel body, a metal felly, and a rim havingan inwardly extending rib, the felly comprising a channel memberencompassing and secured to the Wheel body and having legs of 'unequalradial height, one leg fitting closely within and bearing being underpressure and maintained by the permanent attachment of the other leg tothe rim. Y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto s ubscribed my name.`

ANDREW s. VAN HALTEREN. I i

